UA alum fuses mariachi, pop and opera to connect the dots of his upbringing

Ricaud began the record last August after being forced to return to Tucson from Chicago and complete his master’s degree online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In keeping with social distancing protocols, Ricaud recorded the vocals at Luna Recording in Tucson with owner George Nardo, using music tracks created by Mexico City producer Guillermo Corchado.

He then sent Corchado the completed tracks so that Corchado could master and mix the album, which was released on March 16 on all major streaming platforms.

Three weeks after its release, the album had already garnered nearly 300 streams on Spotfiy.

“For this being my first album, I’m really happy and excited how people have received this album,” said Ricaud, adding that it will be released on CD and vinyl by late May.

Ricaud’s studies at the UA, where he earned his bachelor’s degree, and at Roosevelt University have focused mostly on vocal performance, preparing him a career for the opera stage. He and his wife will move to the East Coast in the fall where he will enroll in a vocal performance program at Boston University.

But he said he’s also flirting with having a more pop-oriented career.

“I think it’s a part of my artistic (journey) to share with people who hear me. I think I can also transport these emotions to the repertoire that I will be singing for the operas,” he said. “I feel that music is music. If you sing really simple tunes, it doesn’t matter. If you tell a story, I think that’s what we try to show in our opera performance. Tell a story instead of just singing, and that’s what I was trying to do with this album.”